Christian Interviews: Discussions with Figures of Scholarship, Contemporary Significance, or Lasting Interest

Christian Interviews:

Discussions with Figures of Scholarship, Contemporary Significance,

or Lasting Interest

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Thomas Ross Interviews

King James Only Numerics Advocate Brandon Peterson

View part 1 of the interview with Brandon Peterson on YouTube

View part 1 of the interview with Brandon Peterson on Rumble

View part 2 of the interview with Brandon Peterson on YouTube

View part 2 of the interview with Brandon Peterson on Rumble

View the review and analysis of the interview with Brandon Peterson on YouTube

View the review and analysis of the interview with Brandon Peterson on Rumble

Thomas Ross Interviews

Historian and Resurrection Scholar Mike Licona

View part 1 of the interview with Mike Licona on YouTube

View part 1 of the interview with Mike Licona on Rumble

View part 2 of the interview with Mike Licona on YouTube

View part 2 of the interview with Mike Licona on Rumble

View the review and analysis of the interview with Mike Licona on YouTube

View the review and analysis of the interview with Mike Licona on Rumble

Join world-renowned New Testament scholar and resurrection expert Dr. Mike Licona as he discusses his powerful, evidence-based case for the resurrection of Jesus Christ using the Minimal Facts approach, applying historical evidences accepted by the vast majority of scholars (including skeptics and non-Christians).

In this in-depth interview, Licona shares:

• His personal journey from doubt to becoming a leading defender of the resurrection

• The bedrock historical facts that form the foundation of the case

• Why the Gospels qualify as reliable ancient biographical sources

• Strong early-church evidence for traditional Gospel authorship (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John)

• Why the hallucination theory, stolen-body theory, and even Islamic claims about the crucifixion and resurrection (similar to the swoon theory) all fail under historical scrutiny

• How historians evaluate miracle claims (including a response to David Hume and naturalism)

• Practical tips for engaging skeptics the way Paul did in Acts 17

Whether you’re a believer looking to strengthen your faith, a skeptic exploring the evidence, or someone who loves historical Jesus studies, this conversation delivers clear, scholarly, and respectful answers.

Dr. Michael R. Licona is Professor of New Testament Studies at Houston Christian University, President of Risen Jesus, Inc., and author of groundbreaking books, including Michael R. Licona, The Resurrection of Jesus: A New Historiographical Approach (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2010), and Paul Meets Muhammad: A Christian-Muslim Debate on the Resurrection (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2006), both of which are discussed in this interview.

He has participated in 38 public debates, engaging with figures such as Bart Ehrman, John Dominic Crossan, Shabir Ally, Matt Dillahunty, Richard Carrier, and others. He is widely regarded as a top expert on the historical evidences for the resurrection of Christ.

Note: While Dr. Licona is a very serious scholar and historian, his view that the gospels can contain minor historical errors is seriously unbiblical and dangerous. Please see Archaeological Evidence for the New Testament as the Word of God and Evangelical Modernism? for a Biblically and historically faithful view of the gospels as God’s inspired, inerrant, infallible Word containing the actual and perfectly accurate words of Jesus Christ.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Introduction & Mike Licona’s Personal Story (becoming a Christian at age 10, later doubts, discovering apologetics)

00:40 – Educational Background & Teaching at Houston Christian University

01:00 – His 38 Public Debates & Major Influences (William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas)

05:00 – Debate Experiences, Impact, and Real-Life Fruit (conversions, people returning to faith)

07:00 – Recent Debate on Gospel Authorship & Strong Early-Church Evidence

15:00 – The Minimal Facts Approach (History, Version 3.0 & Why It Works)

18:00 – Strengths of Minimal Facts in Evidential Apologetics

25:00 – Overview of His Book “The Resurrection of Jesus”

30:00 – Possible Updates to the Book & Scholarly Analysis

33:00 – Answering Objections: Body Theft and Hallucination Theories

41:00 – Responding to David Hume on Miracles & Naturalism

45:00 – Does the Resurrection Prove Jesus Is the Messiah?

48:00 – Addressing Muslim Claims About the Crucifixion (Qur’an vs. Historical Sources)

55:00 – Advanced Muslim Arguments & Rebuttals

1:08:00 – The “Fallacy of Prevalent Proof” & Defending Minimal Facts

1:13:00 – Is the Minimal Facts Approach Biblical? (Paul’s Method in Acts 17)

1:15:00 – Gospel Genre: Greco-Roman Biography?

1:26:49 – Closing Remarks & Final Thoughts on the Resurrection

Please watch part 2 of 2 of the interview with Dr. Licona with Thomas Ross, as well as the review and analysis video of the Licona interview.

Thomas Ross Interviews

Heather Ross & Maricela Moreno author & illustrator of

Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant

View the interview with Heather Ross & Maricela Moreno on YouTube

View the interview with Heather Ross and Maricela Moreno on Rumble

Purchase a copy of Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant on Amazon

Listen to Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant read aloud on YouTube

Listen to Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant read aloud on Rumble

In this interview, author Heather Ross and illustrator Mari discuss Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant, a gentle Christian picture book that highlights diligence, faithfulness, patience, and wise preparation. Told through the voice of Mrs. Legume, a thoughtful pea plant in a garden setting, the story encourages children and adults to slow down, listen carefully, and remember that God sees even the smallest acts of obedience.

✨ In this conversation, Heather shares the inspiration behind the book, how the story developed from a lesson on diligence, and why its quiet, reflective style matters. Mari also talks about the illustration process, how the artwork helped tell the story visually, and what she learned through bringing Annie Ant’s world to life.

This video is helpful for parents, Christian teachers, homeschool families, Sunday school workers, and anyone looking for Christian children’s books that support biblical character training. Viewers can expect insight into the book’s message, the contrast between Annie Ant and Chris the Cricket, and the creative collaboration behind both the writing and the illustrations. Whether you are looking for an author interview, illustrator interview, Christian picture book recommendations, or children’s books about diligence and faithfulness, this video offers a thoughtful introduction to Mrs. Legume’s Story: The Triumphs of Annie Ant. 📖

In addition to the interview, please purchase a copy of the book for children whom you love at the affiliate link to Amazon.com above, and read it aloud with the audio book available on YouTube or Rumble!

Thomas Ross Interviews

Pro-Life Leader Frank Pavone, Director of Priests for Life:

View the interview with Frank Pavone on YouTube

View part 1 of the interview with Frank Pavone on Rumble

Frank Pavone (Priests for Life & National Pro-Life Religious Council) sits down with Bro Thomas Ross after the 2026 March for Life in San Francisco, California, for a powerful, no-holds-barred pro-life interview on abortion, the Bible, faith, and the fight to protect unborn life in post-Roe America.

In this 70-minute deep-dive conversation you’ll hear:

• The clear Biblical case that abortion is murder (Psalm 51, Exodus 21, Luke 1-2)
• Why many Catholics still vote pro-abortion
• Theological liberalism and its ties to the pro-abortion viewpoint
• The hidden link between contraception and abortion
• Best pro-life investments that avoid funding Planned Parenthood (Timothy Plan; Eventide; Inspire Investing)
• The March for Life and the future of the pro-life movement
• Should abortion be treated as murder under the law? (Equal Protection discussion)
• The pro-life movement and the position of Abortion Abolitionism
• How Catholics, Protestants, and Baptists view the “Gospel of Life”
• Are Catholic priests and Catholicism clearly proclaiming the gospel (Romans 3:28)?
• “This is my body”: Its meaning in Scripture & pro-abortion distortion in “My body, my choice.”
• Real hope and healing found in Jesus Christ

Frank Pavone shares his personal journey from discovering his calling at the March for Life to founding Priests for Life in 1993 and his bold vision for a true culture of life.

Whether you’re a pastor, pro-life activist, student, or someone searching for the truth about abortion—this interview will equip, encourage, and inspire you to take action.

⏱ TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro & Frank Pavone’s Pro-Life Calling
04:00 Why Abortion Is Morally Simple
07:00 Catholic Pro-Life Leadership & Voting Disconnect
09:00 The Bible’s Clear Stand Against Abortion
13:00 Post-Roe America: From Neutral to Full Protection
27:00 Contraception’s Direct Link to Abortion
34:00 Pro-Life Investments You Can Trust
40:00 Should Abortion Be Punished as Murder?
48:00 The Gospel of Life & Christian Unity
55:00 Salvation by Faith & the Eucharist
1:06:00 Practical Steps: How to Get Involved Today

🔗 RESOURCES & LINKS

• Discover how you can personally know the true God:

faithsaves.net/Bible-studies/

• Learn about different world religions and groups in Christianity:

faithsaves.net/different-religions/

• Learn more about Roman Catholicism:

faithsaves.net/Catholic/

• Discover evidence for God & the Bible:

faithsaves.net/Gods-Word/
faithsaves.net/science/

• Learn more about the Bible, abortion, and politics:

faithsaves.net/politics/

• Biblical preaching and teaching online, including other interviews:

YouTube.com/@KJB1611Baptist
YouTube.com/@GraceTruthBaptistChurch
Rumble.com/user/KJBIBLE1611
Rumble.com/user/GraceTruthBaptistChurch

View the interview with Frank Pavone on YouTube

View the interview with Frank Pavone on Rumble

View the review and analysis of the Frank Pavone Interview on YouTube

View the review and analysis of the Frank Pavone Interview on Rumble

Thomas Ross Interviews

Textual Scholar & Majority Text Advocate Wilbur Pickering:

Dr. Wilbur Pickering, New Testament scholar, linguist, and missionary in Brazil, explains why the Greek Majority Text is superior to the Nestle-Aland or United Bible Society Greek New Testament, in an interview with Thomas Ross (part 1 of 3).

Dr. Wlibur Pickering is the author of a classic defense of the Majority Text: The Identity of the New Testament Text. He also edited the Greek New Testament According to Family 35 and other NT scholarly studies. Dr. Pickering holds a Master of Theology degree from Dallas Theological Seminary and a PhD in Linguistics from the University of Toronto, Canada.

In part 1 of 3, Thomas Ross and Dr. Pickering discuss:

1.) What do you think the Bible teaches about its own inspiration and preservation?

2.) What broader theological tradition do you come from?

3.) Why is the Majority Text superior to the NA/UBS text?

Dr. Pickering believes in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible. Scripture is God’s Word without any error. Dr. Pickering also, in common with advocates of the Textus Receptus but in disagreement with most advocates of the Textus Rejectus / Nestle-Aland / United Bible Society Greek New Testament, believes that God has preserved every word that He inspired. However, Pickering claims that no verse states specifically how God would preserve Scripture-that must be determined empirically. Dr. Pickering’s claim that Scripture does not indicate how God would preserve His Word differentiates him from advocates of the Textus Receptus, who believe God promised to preserve His words in the text in common use among His people (Isaiah 59:21; Matthew 4:4; 5:18; 28:18-20). Advocates of the Textus Receptus therefore believe that the canonical text in use for centuries among the saints and true churches, the Received Text, is superior to printed editions of the Majority Text where they differ.

Dr. Pickering has a Baptist and Baptistic background, as well as influences from broad evangelicalism. He believes in the continuation of the sign gifts rather than in cessationism, and he denies the eternal security of the believer. He does not himself personally speak in tongues, but he believes that other people have the Biblical gift of tongues today. These beliefs differentiate him from the large majority of independent and fundamental Baptists.

Dr. Pickering discusses many reasons why the Majority Text is superior to the NA/UBS Textus Rejectus from which the large majority of modern English Bible versions are translated.

First, Pickering points out that every single one of the editors of the Greek Nestle-Aland / United Bible Society Greek text was an unbeliever, a child of the devil. None of them believed in the infallible inspiration of Scripture. Sadly, there is every reason to think that Kurt Aland, Matthew Black, Bruce M. Metzger, and Allen Wikgren died and went to hell. Later, the Roman Catholic cardinal Carlo Maria Martini became an editor. Martini also was not born again.

Second, Pickering discusses the many serious textual corruptions in the NA/UBS text, including:

“GOD was manifest in the flesh” (1 TImothy 3:16)–the Textus Receptus and Majority Text include the word “God,” while the NA/UBS omits it.

Mark 16:9-20 are removed, attacking the resurrection of Jesus Christ, His resurrection appearances, and the Great Commission.

John 7:53-8:11 are removed, deleting an important Biblical account and requiring a denial of the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture.

Dr. Pickering and Ross discuss Mark 16:9-20 at some length. Codex B or Vaticanus omits this crucial passage, but it contains a large space at the end where the missing verses could be located-a gap of this kind exists only here in the New Testament of Vaticanus. Pickering also argues that codex Aleph or Sinaiticus contains forgery at the end of Mark 16:9-20.

Furthermore, the Nestle-Aland Textus Rejectus contains plain errors of fact-it is not an inerrant text.

1.) The NA / UBS is in error in Mark 1:2, claiming that Isaiah wrote the book of Malachi.

2.) The NA/UBS is in error in 1 Corinthians 5:1, claiming that a particular kind of immorality did not exist among the Gentiles, when it certainly did.

3.) The NA/UBS is in error in Luke 4:44; Christ was in Galilee, not in Judea.

4.) The NA/UBS is in error in Luke 23:45, claiming that the darkness when Christ was crucified was an eclipse, which is impossible at a new moon.

5.) The NA/UBS is in error in Mark 6:22, where it claims Herodias was Herod’s daughter.

6.) The NA/UBS is in error in Luke 3:23-it introduces fictional people into the geneology of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In the texts above the NA/UBS is following a tiny minority of Greek MSS, rejecting the vast majority.

The NA/UBS text is also a patchwork that does not look like any known manuscript on the face of the earth.

#majoritytext #pickering #f35 #kjv #textusreceptus

View part 1 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on YouTube

View part 1 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on Rumble

Dr. Wilbur Pickering, New Testament scholar and linguist, explains why the Greek Majority Text is superior to the Nestle-Aland or United Bible Society Greek New Testament (part 2 of 3).

Dr. Wilbur Pickering is the author of The Identity of the New Testament Text. He also edited the Greek New Testament According to Family 35 and many other scholarly works.

In part 2 of this three part presentation, Thomas Ross and Dr. Pickering discuss the following questions. (Questions 1-3 were answered in part 1):

4.) Will CBGM, the “Coherence-Based Geneological Method,” save the Greek critical text?

5.) How does your edition of the Majority Text differ from those of Maurice Robinson and of Hodges?

6.) Why do you think your edition is superior to the Byzantine text / Majority Text editions of Robinson and Hodges?

7.) You point out in notes such as the one following the end of Matthew in your Greek NT According to Family 35 that 50% of the colophons on New Testament Greek manuscripts contain notes that declare:

Matthew published eight years after the ascension … Mark published two years later … Luke another five years later … [and John] published thirty-two years after the ascension of Christ.

Why do you believe these notes contain valuable historical information, and why are such early dates for the NT are significant?

8.) Many people claim that no two Greek manuscripts are exactly the same. However, in your essay “In Defense of the Objective Authority of the Sacred Text,” concerning manuscripts that you personally collated, you wrote:

[Out of 21 MSS of the Thessalonian epistles I have personally collated], eleven of their exemplars (over half) were ‘perfect,’ and another five were off by only one variant. … The MSS come from all over the Mediterranean world. … [Considering] minuscule 18 … at least ten [generations passed between this MS and] the family archetype[,] [very possibly] fifteen or more[.] … However many there actually were, please note that every last one of them was perfect! The implications of finding a perfect representative of any archetypal text are rather powerful. All the ‘canons’ of textual criticism become irrelevant to any point subsequent to the creation of that text. … For MS 18 to be perfect, all the generations in between had to be perfect as well. Now I call this incredibly careful transmission. Nothing that I was taught in Seminary about New Testament textual criticism prepared me for this discovery! … MS 18 is not an isolated case … [By contrast, a] typical “Alexandrian” MS will have over a dozen variants per page. … [but] one of the better f35 MSS [the f35 group is a segment of the Byzantine MSS] will go for pages without a variant. … A monk copying an “Alexandrian” MS evidently did not consider that he was handling Scripture, in stark contrast to one copying a f35 MS. … In 2 John … [I have collated] twenty-four … MSS [that] are perfect representatives of the family as they stand … in 3 John … also twenty-four … in Jude … seventeen … for all three … eleven … all thirty-seven MSS [from which the statistics of this sentence come] are independent in their generation, as were their exemplars. . . . I see no evidence of collusion, of ‘stuffing the ballot box’—there was no organized effort to standardize the Text. We are looking at a normal transmission, except that it was incredibly careful. … [There were] twenty-one perfect exemplars [for all three books, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude]. … [In the book of James] … the examplars of [MSS] 18, 35, 1864, 1865, 2221 and 2723 are perfect representatives … [In] 1 Peter … we have four exemplars that [are perfect copies] … [in] 2 Peter … we have eight exemplars … [in] 1 John … we have eight exemplars … [in] 2 John … most of the [collated] cursives are perfect representatives … [in] 3 John … we have twenty-one perfect exemplars … [in] Jude … half of the cursives are perfect representatives … The exemplar of [MS] 2723 …. is perfect throughout a section of seven books.

Can you elaborate on the significance of this sort of extremely careful textual transmission of manuscripts within the Byzantine manuscript stream?

9.) Majority Text theory has been criticized for neglecting the ancient versions and patristic citations. How would you respond?

Dr. Pickering’s view of the Textus Receptus:

The Textus Receptus was the New Testament of the Protestant Reformation. In God’s providence, it is a good text … for just about every practical purpose. … Whereas the critical text, on purpose, has introduced errors of fact and obvious predictions into the text so that you can use it, their text; you can no longer defend inerrancy of the text. (Transcript of TF Radio Episode 12- Dr. Wilbur N. Pickering, July 2021)

View part 2 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on YouTube

View part 2 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on Rumble

Dr. Wilbur Pickering, New Testament scholar and linguist, explains why the Greek Majority Text is superior to the Nestle-Aland or United Bible Society Greek New Testament, in an interview with Thomas Ross (part 3 of 3).

In this final (part 3 of 3) of their interview, Thomas Ross and Dr. Pickering discuss what Scripture teaches about vernacular Bible translation and the differences between a Majority Text and a Textus Receptus position on the New Testament text. Topics discussed include formal and dynamic equivalence; the ideas of Eugene Nida; the philosophy of the United Bible Society, American Bible Society, and Wycliffe Bible Translators. Dr. Pickering also discusses his own life, ministry, and textual work.

While preferring Family 35, Pickering states: “I very clearly see the providence of God” in the production of the printed Textus Receptus; “It is a good text.” Pickering states that “the real enemy” is “the eclectic text or the critical text,” because it “malignantly introduced errors of fact and contradictions” (23:00-26:00).

While he does not oppose the Textus Receptus, what differentiates Pickering’s advocacy of the Majority Text according to Family 35 and the position of the TR advocate? Dr. Pickering thinks that Scripture does not state anything about how God would preserve the Bible. By contrast, the advocate of the Textus Receptus believes that texts such as Deuteronomy 4:2; 12:32; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 59:21; Matthew 4:4; 5:18; 28:18-20; John 12:48; 17:17; Revelation 22:18-19 and others promise, by good and necessary consequence, that the pure Word of God would be preserved in use among the people of God and, in this dispensation, in the church. The TR advocate, therefore, believes that the canonical text employed in Baptist and other Christian confessions of faith and received for centuries as canonical by the churches must be correct. Dr. Pickering, therefore, seeks to determine the precise wording of the autographs of Scripture through manuscript evidence alone, while the advocate of the Textus Receptus evaluates textual evidence in light of the promises of Scripture about the preservation of the Word in the hearts and mouths of God’s people from generation to generation.

But both Dr. Pickering and the advocate of the Textus Receptus would agree with Pickering’s closing comments: “God resists the proud [but] gives grace to the humble. … I have to really honestly humbly before God want to know what he said so that I can do it” (44:00-45:00).

Key Discussion Points:

Preservation Theology: Pickering stresses humility before God, urging translators and readers to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance: “Okay, Holy Spirit, please help me. Don’t let me do anything wrong. Please show me what’s right.”

Translation Best Practices: Pickering advocates a “straightforward, no-nonsense” approach. He warns against prioritizing “understandability” over accuracy, critiquing organizations like Wycliffe Bible Translators and men like Eugene Nida for ties to critical texts and dynamic equivalence.

Missionary Journey: Pickering recounts his 1970s-1998 work in Brazil, translating Scripture for unreached indigenous groups, training local linguists, and adapting to government restrictions that banned foreign missionaries from tribal areas. Post-1998, his focus shifted to promoting the objective authority of the Biblical text through careful study of New Testament manuscripts.

Practical Implications: Pickering believes modern Christians must choose Bibles based on the preserved New Testament text, which possess objective authority

Approximate Timestamps (Based on Key Topics):

0:00 – Introduction and Recap of Preservation Promises
5:30 – Formal vs. Dynamic Equivalence: Linguistic Insights
12:45 – Critique of Critical Texts and Defense of Majority Text
20:15 – Missionary Experiences in Brazil and Shifting Focus
28:00 – Theological Accountability and Humility in Interpretation
35:40 – Q&A on the Textus Receptus and Family 35
42:00 – Closing Thoughts: Consulting the Holy Spirit

Dr. Pickering’s expertise, honed through years of fieldwork and scholarly rigor, challenges common secular assumptions and reaffirms faith in God’s faithful preservation of Scripture.

Dr. Wilbur Pickering is a veteran missionary, linguist, and textual scholar living in Brazil. He holds a PhD in Linguistics and has authored works like “The Identity of the New Testament Text” and “The New Testament According to Family 35.”

Related Resources:

Please also watch parts 1 and 2 of this interview, as well as the summary and analysis video of the three-part Pickering interview on the KJB1611 YouTube or KJBBIBLE1611 Rumble channel, for foundational discussions on textual evidence, manuscript collation, and God’s promises to preserve His holy Word.

View part 3 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on YouTube

View part 3 of the interview with Wilbur Pickering on Rumble